When the door to Han Ling's room closed softly, the night breeze outside swept across the edge of the curtain. Strands of moonlight filtered in, casting a tall, slender silhouette on the wall.
Leander stood by the door, his gaze burning like fire in the night, fixed on Han Ling. He hadn't scheduled a visit tonight; he simply appeared, as usual, without warning. Only now did Han Ling realize why Leander had come—this was normally the time they would video call and chat casually.
But this time, there was no screen between them, and that seductive scent had returned.
Light but not fleeting, sweet but not cloying, it was a scent only he could perceive. Like jasmine kissed by morning mist and warm milk blended together, with a faint trace of spiritual energy's warmth—a fragrance unique to Han Ling.
"Did you... use something again today?" Leander asked in a low voice, his tone heavier than the scent itself.
"...No." Han Ling replied softly, his eyes slightly lowered, trying to avoid that overly heated stare.
He knew full well Leander wasn't asking about any perfume or spiritual mist. Han Ling could smell it himself... whenever Leander got close, the scent ignited like a flame, swiftly spreading and taking over the room. It was invisible, intangible, yet clung to the air and made the skin flush.
That scent had first appeared when they met at a banquet.
Even then, he vaguely sensed that this man might be the partner the heavens had chosen for him. Their auras felt intertwined, as if linked somewhere within his spiritual veins. During the An family incident, when Leander stood beside him, the scent had intensified—rising from his blood, wrapping around them until there was no space between. Since then, Leander had never managed to keep his distance.
"No more," Leander said suddenly, his voice dangerously low, like his patience had reached its limit.
"What?" Han Ling looked up, momentarily stunned.
"You smell... too good." His steps closed the distance inch by inch, his voice laced with a primal hunger. "Do you have any idea how distracted I've been during work these past few days? That scent—and thoughts of you—they're driving me insane."
Han Ling didn't reply, but his gaze flickered to Leander's chest and quickly shifted away. It wasn't fear—it was an undeniable anticipation.
Leander stepped closer, placing his palm gently on Han Ling's waist. He didn't use force—only a featherlight touch—but even that made Han Ling shiver, as if brushed by spiritual energy.
"The scent on you... it tugs at my soul. Do you know that? I smelled it the moment I entered your room. I want you."
"Want... what exactly?" Han Ling's voice faltered slightly.
"I'm losing control," Leander whispered against his ear, breathing in deeply, "If I hold back any longer, I might just push you down and love you hard right here."
As soon as he said it, a blush spread across Han Ling's cheeks, reaching the tips of his ears. He instinctively stepped back, only to be pulled into Leander's arms.
The scent thickened, heady and intoxicating.
"Leander... you know this is fate, don't you?" Han Ling whispered, fingers grasping his sleeve.
Leander's fingers traced the back of Han Ling's neck, warm and familiar. "I suspected as much. The first time I met you at that banquet and smelled this scent, a strange thought hit me... that you were mine."
"So... you came tonight to confirm that?" Han Ling's lashes trembled.
"Not just to confirm." Leander's gaze grew possessive. "I came to claim you."
Before the words even fully left his lips, he dipped down and kissed Han Ling's collarbone. The moon had lit that patch of skin; now it bloomed red beneath his lips like a flower warmed by fire.
Han Ling tilted his head back slightly, lips pressed together, arms instinctively wrapping around Leander's neck. He didn't push him away. Instead, he closed his eyes, letting the heat trail across his shoulders, collarbone, and chest.
"...Here?" Leander murmured by his ear, voice husky and nearly out of control.
"...Okay. Just don't go overboard," Han Ling replied, face flushed. He added softly, "I haven't said yes to you yet."
Leander chuckled quietly, kissing his forehead with a hoarse tenderness. "Then let me ask now."
"Ask what?"
"Will you be mine?"
Han Ling didn't answer immediately. His gaze trembled, then slowly, like a feather brushing down, he nodded.
At that moment, the scent in the air seemed to ignite—a powerful spiritual resonance burst forth from the point where their hearts touched. A faint glow from a spiritual formation lit the room, like an ancient celestial imprint quietly activating.
Leander cupped the back of Han Ling's head, whispering, "Say yes. I'll cherish you. I won't let anyone else lay a finger on you—not even yourself."
Han Ling closed his eyes, burying his face in Leander's embrace, and laughed softly. "So possessive."
---
A golden spiritual formation softly lit the room, making the very air shimmer with heat. Their auras entwined, the scent between them thickening, as if catalyzing a primal longing long suppressed.
Just as Han Ling opened his mouth to speak, Leander captured his lips with a kiss.
It wasn't gentle. It was pure possession. His tongue parted Han Ling's lips, while his hand slipped under his back, holding him tightly.
The kiss left Han Ling dizzy, pressed against Leander's warmth. He could hear Leander's ragged breathing, like a beast finally letting go after too much restraint, biting his neck and collarbone. The brush of his tongue sent a wave of spiritual tremors through Han Ling's body, leaving him weak.
"Leander... mm... didn't I say not to go too far...?"
"I'm really trying, baby, but I can't help it..." Leander's voice was low, teasing, his fingers sliding from Han Ling's lower back upward like spiritual tendrils.
"You... you're impossible!" Han Ling gritted his teeth, face flushed deep red.
"I've been holding back for so long... and you keep smelling so damn good." Leander nipped his earlobe, voice a whisper, "If I don't touch you tonight, I really won't be able to sleep."
Heat rushed through Han Ling, his heart trembling. He knew this wasn't mere lust. It was the pull of destined mates—soul and body, drawn by the heavens' bond, still unfulfilled.
He said nothing more. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Leander's neck and kissed him back.
The kiss was shy, trembling, but it was the clearest sign of consent and welcome.
Leander held nothing back.
He lifted Han Ling into his arms and sat him on the edge of the bed, kneeling before him. He took one of Han Ling's fingers into his mouth, gaze locked on those emotion-drenched eyes.
"You know... ever since I first smelled your scent, I've imagined this moment a thousand times." His voice trembled with obsession and possessiveness. "I've even dreamed of you sitting on my lap, panting softly..."
Han Ling tried to interrupt, but his face had already gone scarlet. He turned his head slightly and whispered, "...Then what do you plan to do tonight?"
Leander chuckled, lifting his ankle and planting a kiss. "I want that every time you smell me, you'll remember this night—our resonance. So you'll never be able to leave me."
Han Ling's eyes widened, unable to speak. He knew this wasn't one-sided desire. It was proof of their fate, written in their souls long ago.
They were chosen by the heavens—their scent, aura, desire, and soul belonged only to each other.
Han Ling nestled quietly in Leander's arms, listening to his steady, fiery heartbeat. Then, a low whisper stirred the depths of his heart.
"Han Ling, I really can't take it anymore... please say yes, baby."
Leander cupped his face, voice strained with intensity.
"When I get near you, my whole aura heats up. Just your scent is enough to drive me crazy. You're all I see in my mind..."
His eyes held desire and a deep, trembling restraint.
"I want to claim you. Not just now since the first moment I saw you."
Han Ling froze at the words "claim you," his breath catching.
But Leander didn't retreat. He took Han Ling's fingers and pressed them against his chest, voice burning with naked honesty:
"I love you. From now on, don't make me just smell you, crave you, hold back anymore."
"Be mine. Truly."
Han Ling opened his mouth, throat tight, but no words came. His aura surged wildly, and he could feel something in his soul like a heavenly seal softly shifting, waiting for a single phrase to unlock an eternal bond.
With reddened eyes, he stared at Leander, breath shaking, and nodded.
"...Mm. I will."
Leander pulled him close in an instant and kissed him. It was no longer restrained or tentative it was a full acceptance, a mark.
Their auras twined, their meridians echoed. A golden pattern shimmered across their foreheads simultaneously a celestial mark granted only to fated partners, triggered when both souls fully acknowledged one another.
Han Ling gasped, heart pounding like thunder.
He knew that from this moment, they were truly together.
Not just a flirtation, not just fate but a conscious choice.
They were chosen by the heavens and from now on, all scent, aura, desire, and soul belonged only to each other.
That night, they merged within the scent and resonance, without crossing the final boundary, yet forming a bond deeper than any spiritual contract. Moonlight poured outside the window, casting the glow of their intertwined silhouettes, as if destiny had engraved its mark into their very bones.
Heaven remained silent, but it witnessed this destined embrace.
[Fated Bond · Bonus Scene | You're Way Too Close!]
"...Haven't you hugged me enough already?"
Han Ling leaned back against the wall beside the bed, staring helplessly at Leander, who had him completely trapped within his arms.
"I just wanted to make sure... that you really belong to me," Leander said matter-of-factly, tugging Han Ling even closer into his embrace.
"You've already kissed me so many times. Where do you think I'd run off to?" Han Ling's face was slightly red, but his tone remained stubborn.
Leander chuckled, dipping his head to nuzzle Han Ling's earlobe. His voice dropped low. "It doesn't matter where you go. You carry a scent I'd recognize anywhere."
"...Are you saying I smell like a marked pet?" Han Ling muttered.
"Not a pet," Leander replied, seriously. "The only mate I'll ever have."
That word "only" was spoken so softly, so sincerely, so deep and low it sounded like a vow whispered directly against Han Ling's heart.
He fell silent, ears burning scarlet. Leander, of course, didn't let the reaction slip by. His hand slid down from Han Ling's nape, pulling him fully into his arms.
"You smelled me again, didn't you?" Han Ling whispered in protest. "The way you sniff... it tickles."
"I can't help it," Leander murmured, lips brushing the hollow of Han Ling's collarbone. "Your scent is completely different from anyone else's. The moment I get close, I just want to...."
"...Want to what?"
"....bite you."
"...Are you actually a dog?"
"Fated mates mark each other. I'm just following instinct," Leander said with a perfectly serious expression—while his hands tightened mischievously around him.
"Stop messing around.....mm..."
Han Ling didn't get to finish before he was kissed again. This time deeper. Slower. It was a kiss full of acknowledgment of desire, of tenderness, and of overwhelming affection now that they had accepted what they were to each other.
"Can I keep holding you like this?" Leander whispered against his ear.
Han Ling's eyes fluttered open, tinged red at the corners, breath unsteady. "...Bit late to be asking, don't you think? You've been hugging me for nearly an hour."
"Then I'll take that as a yes." Leander kissed his forehead and pulled him in even tighter.
In that moment, they were impossibly close—breaths mingled, auras entwined, spiritual energy interlocked. Both of them knew: no matter how the world changed from this day forward, this bond would never be broken.
--------
Thank you for reading all the way here!
I hope you enjoyed today's bonus scene! If you liked the sweet tension between Han Ling and Leander, don't forget to Add to Library~ Your one click means so much to the author
Let's keep the sweetness going in August!